DEPARTMENT: Health
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Jennifer Herriott, MPH
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: Citywide
SUBJECT:
Authorizing an agreement with the UT Health San Antonio’s UT Teen Health program for a term ending June 30, 2020.
SUMMARY:
This Ordinance authorizes an agreement with the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio’s (UT Health San Antonio) UT Teen Health program for a term ending June 30, 2020. This Ordinance also authorizes the acceptance of compensation from UT Health San Antonio in the amount of 100,000.00 for the delivery of technical assistance services by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District’s (Metro Health) Project WORTH program.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
UT Teen Health was awarded a federal grant from the Office of Population Affairs at the US Department of Health and Human Services to replicate programs that have been effective through rigorous evaluation to reduce teenage pregnancy, behavioral risk factors underlying teenage pregnancy, or other associated risk factors, predominately among 1,000 older youth (15-19 years) who are part of the most vulnerable group of youth: those in juvenile justice, community agencies, and charter schools.
Metro Health’s Project WORTH is a teen pregnancy prevention and teen health program. The mission of Project WORTH is to promote the health and well-being of children and teens in San Antonio through education, collaboration, and empowerment. Through an agreement with UT Teen Health, Metro Health will provide training and technical assistance to staff and administrators of five sites serving the youth in implementing the curriculum, “Love Notes SRA”.
The proposed agreement with UT Health San Antonio is for a term ending June 30, 2020 and outlines Metro Health’s responsibilities and the compensation schedule. Authorization of the agreement with UT Health San Antonio will allow Metro Health to earn revenue to fund additional partners for violence prevention and social emotional learning services.
ISSUE:
Despite gains made to lower the teen birth rate, disparities persist; birth rates among Hispanic teens (28.9) and non-Hispanic Black teens (27.5) are more than twice as high as those non-Hispanic White teens (13.2). Texas has a teen birth rate of 27.6 births per 1,000 females age 15-19, 47% higher than the national rate, and a Hispanic teen birth rate of 37.5, 30% higher than the national Hispanic rate (28.9). In 2014, Metro Health reported 2,441 teen births. Of those 539 were repeat teen births. San Antonio’s birth rate for females ages 15-19 was 37.4 per 1,000 and was 55% higher than the national rate. According to the National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy, the 2014 cost of teen childbearing in San Antonio was $54.2 million in child welfare, healthcare, lost revenue and incarceration. By the year 2019, 111 kindergarten classes will be filled with the children of teen parents.
Metro Health is requesting City Council authorization of an agreement with UT Health San Antonio for a term ending June 30, 2020 and authorization for the acceptance of compensation from UT Health San Antonio in the amount of $100,000.00 for the delivery of technical assistance by San Antonio Metro Health’s Project WORTH program. Of the $100,000.00 compensation received from UT Health San Antonio, $59,030.00 will be used to provide additional funding for the SAISD Too Good for Violence School-based Violence Prevention Program approved in the FY 2020 Adopted Budget.
ALTERNATIVES:
Should this contract not be authorized, Metro Health will be unable to move forward with collaborating with UT Health San Antonio on efforts to improve the health of teens in San Antonio. Metro Health would also have to forego the acceptance of compensation in the amount of $100,000.00.
FISCAL IMPACT:
This ordinance authorizes an agreement with the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio’s UT Teen Health program for a term ending June 30, 2020 and acceptance of compensation from the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in the amount of $100,000.00 for the delivery of technical assistance services by the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District related to teen health.
This ordinance also increases the FY 2020 General Fund revenues budget by $100,000 to account for the revenues from University of Texas Health Science Center. Additionally, $100,000 will be appropriated in the Health Department’s FY 2020 General Fund Budget increasing the budget to $15,779,071. Funds in the amount of $59,030 will be allocated for the Too Good for Violence School-Based Violence Prevention program and the balance of $40,970 will be allocated to purchase the curriculum, educational materials, observation and data forms needed to implement the Love Notes program.
RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends City Council authorize the agreement with UT Health San Antonio’s UT Teen Health program for a term ending June 30, 2020 and authorize the acceptance of compensation to Metro Health in the amount of $100,000.00.